Syria: Hillary Clinton calls for full transfer of power as Assad regime denies massacre

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has called for a full transfer of power from Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime, following reports of a fresh massacre in the country.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has called for a full transfer of power from Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regimePhoto: AFP/Getty Images/AP

8:02AM BST 07 Jun 2012

Reports on Wednesday night emerged of a bloody mass killing of civilians in the province of Hama, leaving dozens dead. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the number of villages killed at an initial estimate of 100.

The government on Thursday denied carrying out the massacre, denouncing the reports as "completely false", and once again laying the blame with a "terrorist group".

An official close to Mrs Clinton on Thursday said: "We can't break faith with the Syrian people who want real change."

Mrs Clinton set forth "essential elements and principles that we believe should guide that post Assad transition strategy, including Assad's full transfer of power," the official said.

Other elements include "the establishment of a fully representative and inclusive interim government which leads to free and fair elections, a ceasefire to be observed by all and equality for all Syrians under the law," the official said.

Mrs Clinton stressed that in the meantime countries in a group of "Friends of the Syrian People" were looking at ways of tightening sanctions against the regime and adding new measures with an eye to peeling away domestic support for Assad.

Countries that provide assistance to the Syrian opposition also agreed to convene a meeting of their experts with opposition representatives in Istanbul at mid month to better coordinate the assistance.

The participants, mainly Arab and European foreign ministers, met here against the backdrop of fresh reports of massacres in Syrias and growing fears of a descent into a destabilising civil war.

They discussed calls made by some countries for invoking Chapter VII of the UN charter, which authorises member states to take "all necessary measures" to carry out UN Security Council decisions.

"The secretary made clear Chapter VII remains on the table at the appropriate time," the official said, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity.

The official portrayed the secretary's presentation as an attempt to lay out a "common vision" that can unite the international community on action toward Syria in the period ahead.

It was expected to be taken up in debate Thursday at the United Nations when the Security Council meets to hear special envoy Kofi Mr Annan's report on his efforts to salvage a battered peace plan for Syria.

Vehement opposition from Russia and China, however, has so far blocked action at the UN Security Council despite rising condemnation over massacres of civilians by forces loyal to the regime.

Mrs Clinton is sending her special representative on Syria, Fred Hoff, to Moscow on Thursday to sound out the Russians, the official said.

"She made clear that we want to work with Russia, but that we've got to have a common vision," the official said.